Improvement in harvesters



H. L. STRG CK.

HARVESTERS.

No.180,805. Patented Aug.8,1876.

UNITED 't STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. STROOK, OF POLO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. 180,805, dated August 8, i876 application filed December 16, 1875.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HENRY L. STRocK, of Polo, county of Ogle, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harvesters, of which the following .is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a perspective view of a harvesterplatform and cutting apparatus, or as much thereof as is necessary to show my improvements. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing a slight modilication in-the construction of the sickle-lever bridge.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in both figures.

My invention relates to that class of harvesters employing a sway-bar77 or sickle-lever. passing through the platform-apron, and having its forward end connected with the sickle-bar at or midway of its length, .and its rear end connected by a pitman with the driving-crank; and consists in a novel construction of the forward platform or apron bar, and of the bridge covering the slot or recess in said bar, through which the forward arm of the vibrating sickle-lever passes, for facilitating the escape of short straws or other matter, such as would tend to clog the sickle-lever or interfere with the action of the platform-apron; and, in connection with the above, it further consists in a novel construction of the sickle-lever point or iron, whereby it is made to assist in the actionof repelling and removing clogging matter, as hereinafter set forth. Y

In the accompanying drawings, A A1 represent the front and rear platform-bars, the bar A, in the present instance, representing also the bar to which 4the ngers a are attached, and B is the endless platform-apron or carrier, passing around rollers b b', n ounted in suitable bearings near the ends o the bars A A1, the above parts being constructed in any usual or preferred manner. O represents the sicklelever, passing through the apron, and pivoted at or midway ofits length to a central frame-bar, A2, the rear end of this lever passing through a slot in the bar A1, and is connected by a pitman, D, with the actuating crank-shaft. The forward end of the lever C has an iron, C', rigidly connected with it, which crosses the upper face ofthe bar A, resting snugly thereon, and is connected at its forward end to a point with the sickle-bar a1 by passing through an eye or into a socket formed in a lug or ear, a2, at the back of said bar, and about midway of its length, as shown; or the lconnection with said barmay be madein any usual manner. The iron or sickle-lever point O', from its point of attachment to the lever C, is made to taper forward to the bar al, and has its upper face made convex, or with a double incline or bevel, for bringing its sides, resting on the bar A, or in close proximity therewith, each to a cuttingedge, the point, by this form and construction, being adapted to cut under any obstructing matter with which it may come in contact, and to keep the surface of the bar A, over which it moves, free therefrom, while the forwardly tapering and beveled sides, as the lever is vibrated, serve to give a forward thrust to such obstructing matter, thereby tending to prevent its working back to the apron. To the rear face of the bar A is secured a bar, E, the upper edge of which is raised above the bar A, (or it may be in the form of a rabbet in said bar,) to the plane of the upper faces of the rollers b b', the function of said bar being to prevent sagging of the forward edge of the platform-apron, which overhangs and rests upon it, and also to serve as a stop or guard for preventing blades of grain, straw, grass, &c., from getting inside the apron and upon the lower returning portion thereof, where, by its accumulation, it might seriously interfere with or entirely stop the action of said apron. The bar E, where the sickle lever or point C crosses it, is recessed or cut away to the plane of the bar A to accommodate said lever, and the recess e, thus formed, terminates at its outer end in an inclined plane at el, and at its inner end the forward face of the bar E is cut away or recessed beyond what is required to accommodate the motion of the sickle-lever in the form of an inclined plane, e2, extending from the rear to the forward face of the bar, as shown. The recess e is bridged above the sickle-lever by a strip or plate of wood or metal, F, let into or otherwise so connected at its ends with the bar E as to have its upper face iiush therewith, thus making the guard to the apron continuous, and protecting said apron from the lever. The plate F is notched or cut away on its forward edge at f and f', the former notch f being over the incline e1, and serving to permit the escape of such clogging matter as may be forced up said incline by the action of the sickle-lever. At f' the plate is cut away at the inner end of the recess e, and obstructing matter passed out at the notch f is carried forward over the plate F by the action of the apron, and drops at the notch f7, in front of the incline e2, where, by the action of' the sickle-lever and apron, it is carried inward and away from the recess e, in front ofthe bar E, together with such obstructing matter as may be thrown out by the opposite side of the lever, until finally it escapes from the machine at the inner end of the platform-bar A.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The recessed apron guard or bar, through which the forward end of the sickle-lever passes, provided with the inclines e e2, in cornbination with the notched bridge or plate F, constructed and operating substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the sickle-lever, of the tapering double-beveled or convex cuttingpoint C', connecting said lever with the sicklebar, and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the sickle-lever C, of the recessed guard-bar E, provided with the inclines c1 e2, the notched bridge F, and the tapering cutting-point C', all arranged and operatin g substantially as described.

HENRY L. STROCK.

Witnesses:

JAMES W. ALLABERG, JAMES SCOTT. 

